Álex Rins joined LCR Honda for the 2023 MotoGP season, after Suzuki ended their project – which the rider had been a part of since his debut in the premier class in 2017. However, it was a very complicated year, during which he was almost always absent due to injury… but still managed to be the only Honda rider to win a race.
The start of the season was encouraging for Rins, as he achieved results even better than the other Japanese manufacturer riders with two top tens in Portugal and Argentina… before becoming the undisputed winner of the Americas GP. In the Austin round, he also finished second in the Sprint race, marking the high point of his season and for Honda.
After the end of the season, Rins proudly recalled that triumph, rejecting that it will be forgotten by Honda: ‘Let’s say, fortunately I was the only one to win with Honda this year, this is very good. We did it in a satellite team, so this is very important. I think they value it a lot. When I returned, I felt a little more support from Ken [Kawauchi], this is true – more than before. I am proud of that‘.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMotoGP%2Fvideos%2F244063351457758%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0
Two retirements followed at the beginning of the European phase of the championship. The fateful Italian GP arrived, in which a spectacular crash in the Sprint race resulted in fractures in a leg. From then until the end of the year, Rins only competed in two more rounds.
The first attempt to return took place in Japan, but he did not have the physical conditions to complete the round. Then, in Indonesia, #42 faced adversities and achieved an encouraging ninth place. However, in Australia, he suffered intense pain in his injured leg and needed to undergo a new surgery.
As a result, he missed the rest of the Asian tour, but returned in Valencia for the farewell of LCR Honda – he already knew, since the beginning of August, that he will go to Monster Energy Yamaha in 2024. The Valencia race did not go well, ending with a retirement.
Undoubtedly 2023 was a tough year for Rins, but even so in the few races he competed in, he managed to be one of the strongest Honda drivers – in a year when the manufacturer was one of the least competitive in the field. The 19th place in the championship does not reflect the potential shown in the few races he raced.
Increasingly recovered from the injuries suffered in June, the Spaniard is now preparing to return as a factory rider for Yamaha – which has also been far below the desired competitiveness.
Álex Rins’ 2023 season:
Portuguese GP: 13th Sprint/10th GP – 12th in the championship
Argentina GP: 15th Sprint/9th GP – 12th in the championship
Americas GP: 2nd Sprint/1st GP – 3rd in the championship
Spanish GP: 13th Sprint/Retirement in GP – 8th in the championship
French GP: 11th Sprint/Retirement in GP – 10th in the championship
Italian GP: Retirement in Sprint/Did not participate in GP race – 11th in the championship
German GP: Absent due to injury – 13th in the championship
Dutch GP: Absent due to injury – 13th in the championship
British GP: Absent due to injury – 14th in the championship
Austrian GP: Absent due to injury – 14th in the championship
Catalan GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
San Marino GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
Indian GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
Japanese GP: Withdrew after FP1 – 17th in the championship
Indonesian GP: 18th Sprint/9th GP – 17th in the championship
Australian GP: Withdrew after FP1 – 17th in the championship
Thai GP: Absent due to injury – 17th in the championship
Malaysian GP: Absent due to injury – 18th in the championship
Qatar GP: Absent due to injury – 18th in the championship
Valencia GP: 19th Sprint/Retirement in GP – 19th in the championship
